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Excellent racing in prospect on Countryside Day at The Open
9th November 2013 - Day One of The Open, Countryside Day, looks set to be a tremendous day's racing with a host of old favourites and exciting prospects featuring among the entries for the six-race card on Friday, November 15.
Cheltenham's cross country course will be used for the first time this season in the £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3.15pm). The 16 entries for the unique contest over three miles and seven furlongs include the Willie Mullins-trained Uncle Junior, who captured the race 12 months ago for Ireland.
Balthazar King, successful in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The Festival in March, 2012, is set to return to Cheltenham following a third consecutive win in the Showcase Trophy on October 19, while cross country specialist, Ireland's Enda Bolger, has four entries including Quiscover Fontaine.
Chicago Grey, who won the National Hunt Chase at the 2012 Festival, is another from Ireland and could represent Gordon Elliott. He could be joined by the Nick Williams-trained Diamond Harry, victorious in the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.
Sizing Australia won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The Festival in 2011 and finished fourth and fifth respectively in the 2012 and 2013 renewals of the race. He made a winning return to action with a game victory in a Wexford hurdle over two miles on October 27.His trainer Henry de Bromhead is considering whether to send Sizing Australia from Ireland to Cheltenham for Friday's race. He reported today: "We have entered Sizing Australia at Cheltenham and the race is certainly an option for him, although there is a cross country race at Punchestown the following day, which we are also looking at. He is in great from at the moment, as he showed the other day at Wexford. I was delighted that he won and pleased for our conditional jokey Kevin Sexton, who gave him a great ride.
He also won at the Punchestown Festival this year, so he seems to have found a new lease of life at the age of 11. He hasn't had it too hard over the years and he is not that old compared to some of the cross country horses.
Hopefully, if we get a clear run over the winter, we can head back to The Festival with him in March again."
The County Waterford handler is also set to be represented at The Open by Special Tiara, who is due to line up in the £70,000 Listed Shloer Chase over two miles on the final day of The Open, Sunday, November 17.
Special Tiara captured the Grade One Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree's Grand National meeting in April before coming home third in the Grade One Ryanair Novice Chase on heavy ground at the Punchestown Festival.
The six-year-old gelding made an inauspicious start to the current campaign when unseating Bryan Cooper at the first fence in a Grade Three chase at Naas on October 28. De Bromhead added: "Special Tiara is likely to come over for the Shloer Chase. He jumped a shadow on his first run back at Naas and unfortunately unseated Bryan Cooper.
"We were hopeful that he would run well at Aintree. We felt that two miles around a flat track on good ground would suit him and we got everything on the day, so we knew that would run to the best of his ability.
"The ground was a bit too heavy for him at Punchestown. He is only a six-year-old and was quite a big, weak horse then, although he has summered really well and we are looking forward to getting him out again."
Countryside Day's most valuable contest is the £45,000 Paddy Power Handicap Chase (1.35pm) over two miles, which has attracted 27 entries including last season's Paddy Power Gold Cup third Nadiya De La Vega, Cheltenham Festival winner Oh Crick and recent Wetherby scorer Valco de Touzaine.
Friday's card also includes the £20,000 Steel Plate And Sections Novices' Chase (2.05pm) over an extended two and a half miles, in which dual Grade One-winning hurdler Oscar Whisky is set to make his chasing debut. He could face a stiff examination, with chase scorers Taquin du Seiul, Third Intention and Wonderful Charm also among the 13 entries.
Impressive recent Fontwell scorer Bally Legend heads 43 entries for the £20,000 David Johnson Memorial Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (2.40pm), which remembers one of Cheltenham's leading owners. David Johnson owned 14 Festival winners and saw his colours carried to victory in the highlight of The Open, the Paddy Power Gold Cup, on seven occasions.
Racing gets underway with the £20,000 Opus Energy Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase (1.05pm, 23 entries) and concludes with the £12,000 Countryside Raceday Novices' Handicap Hurdle (3.50pm, 38 entries), which could feature the 2012 Weatherbys Champion Bumper runner-up New Year's Eve.
Ground
The going at Cheltenham is currently Good, Good to Soft in Places on the chase and hurdle courses, and Good, Good to Firm in Places on the cross country course
The forecast is for unsettled weather over the weekend, with six to seven millimetres of rain forecast. Drier conditions are anticipated from midweek onwards.
9th November 2013 - Day One of The Open, Countryside Day, looks set to be a tremendous day's racing with a host of old favourites and exciting prospects featuring among the entries for the six-race card on Friday, November 15.
Cheltenham's cross country course will be used for the first time this season in the £25,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (3.15pm). The 16 entries for the unique contest over three miles and seven furlongs include the Willie Mullins-trained Uncle Junior, who captured the race 12 months ago for Ireland.
Balthazar King, successful in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The Festival in March, 2012, is set to return to Cheltenham following a third consecutive win in the Showcase Trophy on October 19, while cross country specialist, Ireland's Enda Bolger, has four entries including Quiscover Fontaine.
Chicago Grey, who won the National Hunt Chase at the 2012 Festival, is another from Ireland and could represent Gordon Elliott. He could be joined by the Nick Williams-trained Diamond Harry, victorious in the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.
Sizing Australia won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The Festival in 2011 and finished fourth and fifth respectively in the 2012 and 2013 renewals of the race. He made a winning return to action with a game victory in a Wexford hurdle over two miles on October 27.His trainer Henry de Bromhead is considering whether to send Sizing Australia from Ireland to Cheltenham for Friday's race. He reported today: "We have entered Sizing Australia at Cheltenham and the race is certainly an option for him, although there is a cross country race at Punchestown the following day, which we are also looking at. He is in great from at the moment, as he showed the other day at Wexford. I was delighted that he won and pleased for our conditional jokey Kevin Sexton, who gave him a great ride.
He also won at the Punchestown Festival this year, so he seems to have found a new lease of life at the age of 11. He hasn't had it too hard over the years and he is not that old compared to some of the cross country horses.
Hopefully, if we get a clear run over the winter, we can head back to The Festival with him in March again."
The County Waterford handler is also set to be represented at The Open by Special Tiara, who is due to line up in the £70,000 Listed Shloer Chase over two miles on the final day of The Open, Sunday, November 17.
Special Tiara captured the Grade One Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree's Grand National meeting in April before coming home third in the Grade One Ryanair Novice Chase on heavy ground at the Punchestown Festival.
The six-year-old gelding made an inauspicious start to the current campaign when unseating Bryan Cooper at the first fence in a Grade Three chase at Naas on October 28. De Bromhead added: "Special Tiara is likely to come over for the Shloer Chase. He jumped a shadow on his first run back at Naas and unfortunately unseated Bryan Cooper.
"We were hopeful that he would run well at Aintree. We felt that two miles around a flat track on good ground would suit him and we got everything on the day, so we knew that would run to the best of his ability.
"The ground was a bit too heavy for him at Punchestown. He is only a six-year-old and was quite a big, weak horse then, although he has summered really well and we are looking forward to getting him out again."
Countryside Day's most valuable contest is the £45,000 Paddy Power Handicap Chase (1.35pm) over two miles, which has attracted 27 entries including last season's Paddy Power Gold Cup third Nadiya De La Vega, Cheltenham Festival winner Oh Crick and recent Wetherby scorer Valco de Touzaine.
Friday's card also includes the £20,000 Steel Plate And Sections Novices' Chase (2.05pm) over an extended two and a half miles, in which dual Grade One-winning hurdler Oscar Whisky is set to make his chasing debut. He could face a stiff examination, with chase scorers Taquin du Seiul, Third Intention and Wonderful Charm also among the 13 entries.
Impressive recent Fontwell scorer Bally Legend heads 43 entries for the £20,000 David Johnson Memorial Intermediate Handicap Hurdle (2.40pm), which remembers one of Cheltenham's leading owners. David Johnson owned 14 Festival winners and saw his colours carried to victory in the highlight of The Open, the Paddy Power Gold Cup, on seven occasions.
Racing gets underway with the £20,000 Opus Energy Amateur Riders' Handicap Chase (1.05pm, 23 entries) and concludes with the £12,000 Countryside Raceday Novices' Handicap Hurdle (3.50pm, 38 entries), which could feature the 2012 Weatherbys Champion Bumper runner-up New Year's Eve.
Ground
The going at Cheltenham is currently Good, Good to Soft in Places on the chase and hurdle courses, and Good, Good to Firm in Places on the cross country course
The forecast is for unsettled weather over the weekend, with six to seven millimetres of rain forecast. Drier conditions are anticipated from midweek onwards.
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